Hurricane Watches issued for Louisiana-Mississippi coast

NEW ORLEANS — As of 10 PM the National Hurricane Center has issued Hurricane Watches for all of Southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Coast.

Hurricane Watches are issued within 48 hours of an area feeling hurricane force conditions. The latest intensity forecast keeps Nate as a Tropical Storm this evening, strengthening it to a Category 1 hurricane by Saturday evening.

There has been little to no intensity or track changes in the 10 PM update, but does bring the storm to land earlier Sunday morning likely before dawn. The storm is moving to the Northwest at 12 mph but will likely pick up forward speed as it moves north of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Nate will likely make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane. The largest impacts will be coastal storm surge, and tropical storm force winds, with a small area feeling hurricane force gusts.